Everything We Need to Know about Singapore | Public Holiday Pay, Rest Days, Substitution and Working on Holidays

Singapore public holidays affect both family plans and salary calculations. For employees, the important question is not simply whether a date is a gazetted holiday. The way the date falls in a work schedule—ordinary working day, non-working day or rest day—can change what the employee is entitled to receive. Working on a holiday also has specific pay rules.

This guide explains Singapore’s 11 paid public holidays, how public holiday pay works, what happens when a holiday falls on Saturday or Sunday, how substitute holidays are agreed and what an employee should check when asked to work on a holiday. It includes the 2027 dates, but its main purpose is to help people understand the employment rules rather than repeat a calendar.

If you searched for public holiday pay Singapore, working on a public holiday, day off in lieu, public holiday on rest day, or whether an employer can replace a holiday, start with the quick guide. The controlling rules depend on coverage under the Employment Act and the employee’s working arrangement. Use the Ministry of Manpower’s current public holiday entitlement and pay guidance for the final answer.

Quick answer: five rules to remember

Employees covered by the Employment Act are entitled to 11 paid public holidays a year.
If a public holiday falls on a rest day, the next working day is generally the paid public holiday.
If it falls on a non-working day, an employee covered by the Act is generally entitled to another day off or one extra day’s salary at the gross rate, subject to the rules.
If an employee is required to work on a public holiday, the default entitlement is the gross pay for the holiday plus an additional day’s salary at the basic rate, with overtime where applicable.
A substitute public holiday can be agreed between employer and employee. It should not simply be changed unilaterally without regard to the law and agreement requirements.

What are Singapore’s 11 gazetted public holidays?

The 11 public holidays recognised under the Employment Act are New Year’s Day; Chinese New Year (two days); Hari Raya Puasa; Hari Raya Haji; Good Friday; Labour Day; Vesak Day; National Day; Deepavali; and Christmas Day. The exact dates change each year, and some religious-holiday dates are determined using the relevant calendar and official announcement.

The Ministry of Manpower announced the 2027 dates on 18 June 2026. The dates are listed below for planning purposes:

New Year’s Day — Friday, 1 January 2027.
Chinese New Year — Saturday, 6 February and Sunday, 7 February 2027. Monday, 8 February is the public holiday in lieu for the Sunday holiday under the announced calendar.
Hari Raya Puasa — Wednesday, 10 March 2027.
Good Friday — Friday, 26 March 2027.
Labour Day — Saturday, 1 May 2027.
Hari Raya Haji — Monday, 17 May 2027.
Vesak Day — Thursday, 20 May 2027.
National Day — Monday, 9 August 2027.
Deepavali — Thursday, 28 October 2027.
Christmas Day — Saturday, 25 December 2027.

This is the official 11-day entitlement, with the Chinese New Year arrangement accounting for two days and the Sunday holiday observed on Monday. Always check the MOM 2027 public-holiday announcement if a subsequent official correction is issued.

Does every employee receive 11 paid public holidays?

The Employment Act provides 11 paid public holidays for employees covered by the Act. Most employees are covered, but there are exclusions and special employment categories. The exact coverage can depend on the person’s employment status and the relevant statutory provisions. Domestic workers, seafarers and public servants are among groups whose employment conditions may be governed by other legislation or service rules.

Employees whose public holiday entitlement is not governed by the Employment Act should examine their employment contract, collective agreement or applicable public-service terms. A company handbook cannot reduce a statutory entitlement for an employee who is covered by the Act, but a contract can provide better benefits.

Do not assume that a person paid hourly or on a shift roster is automatically excluded from public holiday protection. Part-time employees are also covered by relevant employment provisions, with entitlements calculated according to their working arrangements. Check the current MOM guidance for the specific category rather than treating “part-time” as synonymous with “no paid holidays”.

What is the difference between a rest day and a non-working day?

This distinction is one of the most common sources of confusion. A rest day is the weekly rest day provided under the employment rules. A non-working day is a day on which the employee is not scheduled to work under the normal working arrangement, but which is not the designated rest day.

For a typical five-day work week, Saturday is commonly a non-working day and Sunday is commonly the rest day. But not every company works Monday to Friday. A retail employee may have a rotating rest day; a hospital worker may have a roster. The correct classification follows the employee’s actual schedule and designated rest day, not a universal assumption that Sunday is always the rest day.

What if a public holiday falls on your rest day?

If a public holiday falls on the employee’s rest day, the next working day is generally treated as the paid public holiday under the Employment Act. For example, if the rest day is Sunday and a public holiday falls on that Sunday, Monday is the paid public holiday. This can make a three-day break when the employee’s schedule also includes the weekend.

Check whether the Sunday is genuinely the designated rest day. If an employee works rotating shifts and their rostered rest day is Tuesday, the result may be different. A public holiday falling on a non-working day is dealt with under a separate rule.

What if a public holiday falls on a non-working day?

If the public holiday falls on a non-working day, an employee covered by the Employment Act is generally entitled to either another day off or one extra day’s salary at the gross rate of pay. For a standard five-day work week, Saturday is commonly the non-working day. When a public holiday falls on Saturday, the employer should provide the applicable entitlement.

This is why it is incorrect to say that a Saturday holiday simply disappears for every worker. The law distinguishes between a normal workday, a non-working day and the designated rest day. The appropriate outcome depends on the employee’s actual schedule.

What happens when you work on a public holiday?

If an employee is required to work on a public holiday, the default rule is an additional day’s salary at the basic rate of pay, on top of the gross rate of pay for the holiday that is already included in the monthly salary. If the employee works beyond the normal hours, overtime pay may also apply depending on the employee’s coverage under the relevant Employment Act provisions.

The employee and employer may mutually agree to substitute the public holiday for another working day. There are also rules about time off in lieu for employees who are not covered under Part 4 of the Employment Act. For specific groups, MOM allows an employer to grant time off in lieu based on mutually agreed hours, rather than only the standard cash arrangement.

The employer should not treat a normal day’s salary as the complete payment for a public holiday worked when the statutory extra payment is due. The employee should ask how the holiday was classified, whether the roster has been varied by agreement and how the pay is shown in the payslip.

How much is the extra public holiday salary?

The extra amount is calculated using the employee’s basic rate of pay for one day’s work under the applicable statutory method. The gross rate and basic rate are not identical: gross rate can include certain allowances, while basic rate excludes specified components such as overtime payments, bonuses and certain allowances. Use MOM’s current definitions and calculator rather than assuming a simple monthly-salary divided by 30 works in every case.

For a monthly-rated employee, the ordinary holiday pay is generally already part of the monthly salary. The additional day’s pay is paid on top when the employee is required to work on the holiday, subject to the statutory calculation. If the employee’s schedule or pay structure is unusual, payroll should explain the calculation in writing.

Can the employer substitute a public holiday?

Yes, public holidays may be substituted for another working day by mutual agreement between employer and employee. This can be useful for organisations that operate continuously, teams with customer-service schedules or employees who prefer a different day off for personal or religious reasons.

The important words are mutual agreement. A company calendar that simply removes a statutory holiday without providing the required alternative does not settle the issue. Employers should explain the proposed substitute date and keep an accurate record of the agreement. Employees should check whether the new date is a working day and how pay will be treated if they are asked to work on it.

What if your employment contract gives more than 11 days?

An employer can provide more favourable leave terms than the statutory minimum. Some workplaces provide additional company holidays, birthday leave, family leave or a collective agreement with more generous time off. Those benefits are contractual or company-policy entitlements and should be read together with the statutory 11 public holidays.

Do not confuse annual leave with public holiday entitlement. Annual leave is a separate statutory or contractual benefit. A company should not normally deduct a public holiday from an employee’s annual leave balance when the employee is entitled to the public holiday as a paid day off.

What if you are on annual leave or sick leave next to a public holiday?

MOM’s public holiday guidance states that an employee is entitled to holiday pay if they are not absent without consent or reasonable excuse on the working day immediately before or after the holiday. Being on authorised leave such as approved sick leave or annual leave on the adjacent working day does not automatically remove holiday pay.

Approved unpaid leave is different. If the employee is on unpaid leave on the public holiday itself, the employee is not entitled to holiday pay for that day. If unpaid leave spans both the adjacent working day and the public holiday, eligibility can be affected. Check the exact dates and approval status rather than relying on a broad claim that “leave before a holiday cancels the holiday”.

How public holidays affect part-time employees

Part-time employees have public holiday entitlements calculated in proportion to their working hours under the relevant rules. The employer should explain how the paid holiday hours are calculated and how a holiday falling on a non-working day is handled. The relevant reference is the employee’s agreed working schedule and average hours, not simply whether they are paid monthly or hourly.

A part-time employee who works only three days each week should not assume that every public holiday automatically creates an entire additional full-time day of leave. The entitlement is adjusted in accordance with the rules. Likewise, an employer should not assume that part-time status removes the entitlement altogether.

How to plan 2027 leave around public holidays

There are several useful long weekends in the 2027 calendar. New Year’s Day and Good Friday both fall on Fridays, Hari Raya Haji and National Day fall on Mondays, and the Chinese New Year holiday includes the Monday following the Sunday. A person with a Monday-to-Friday schedule may find these dates useful for travel or family plans.

However, a long weekend for one worker may not be a long weekend for a shift worker. Before booking flights or hotels, confirm the roster, leave approval and any substitute holiday arrangement. Public holiday dates do not guarantee that a particular employee is off duty.

For employees who intend to use annual leave around a public holiday, submit the request early. A manager may need to balance staffing, customer demand and other requests. Do not buy non-refundable tickets on the assumption that a leave request has been approved simply because the date appears on the national calendar.

How to check your payslip after working on a holiday

Look for the public-holiday work payment, any extra day’s salary, overtime payment if applicable, and the substitute day or time off in lieu agreed. Payroll may show these items under different labels. If a line item is unclear, ask the employer for the basic-rate and gross-rate calculation as well as the holiday date recorded in the roster.

Keep the roster, timesheet, leave approval and payslip. A clear record helps resolve disputes about whether the employee worked a full day, worked beyond normal hours or agreed to a substitute holiday.

What to do if the employer does not provide the entitlement

Start by checking whether the employee is covered by the Employment Act and whether the employer has correctly classified the day as a rest day or non-working day. Ask payroll or HR to explain the calculation and identify the applicable contract or statutory provision.

If the issue is unresolved, consult MOM’s employment guidance and consider the appropriate salary or employment dispute channel. For salary-related claims, the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) can assist eligible workers with mediation before certain claims proceed to the Employment Claims Tribunals. Observe the relevant time limits; do not wait until employment records are lost.

Common mistakes about public holiday pay

Assuming Saturday and Sunday have the same legal treatment.
Assuming every worker has Sunday as a rest day.
Assuming an employee who works on a holiday receives only normal monthly salary.
Assuming every employee must receive cash even when a valid substitute-holiday arrangement is agreed.
Deducting a public holiday from annual leave without checking the entitlement.
Assuming a date on the national calendar guarantees a shift worker a day off.
Forgetting that part-time public holiday entitlements are calculated differently.

Frequently asked questions about Singapore public holiday pay

How many paid public holidays are there in Singapore?

Employees covered by the Employment Act are entitled to 11 paid public holidays each year.

If a public holiday falls on Sunday, do I get Monday off?

Generally yes, if Sunday is your designated rest day. The next working day is treated as the paid public holiday.

If a public holiday falls on Saturday, do I get another day off?

For a typical five-day work week, Saturday is usually a non-working day, so the employee is generally entitled to another day off or one extra day’s salary at the gross rate.

Can my employer make me work on a public holiday?

Working is subject to the employment contract or mutual agreement. If required to work, the statutory additional pay or agreed alternative applies.

Do I get an extra day’s pay if I work on a public holiday?

The default entitlement is an extra day’s salary at the basic rate, in addition to the holiday’s gross-rate pay, with overtime where applicable.

Can I receive time off in lieu instead of extra pay?

There are circumstances in which the employer and employee may agree to a substitute public holiday or time off in lieu under MOM’s rules. The arrangements depend on the employee’s category.

Does being on sick leave next to a public holiday cancel the holiday pay?

Authorised sick leave does not automatically remove the entitlement. Unauthorised absence without reasonable excuse can affect holiday pay.

Are public holidays part of annual leave?

No. They are separate entitlements for employees covered by the relevant Employment Act provisions.

Do part-time employees get public holidays?

Yes, subject to the rules for calculating their pro-rated entitlement.

Official sources and related eduKateSG reading

Editorial review: 4 November 2026. Independent explanation of MOM guidance. Employment status, contract terms, rest-day arrangements and statutory coverage matter. Refer to MOM or TADM for the specific case; the official 2027 holiday dates may be updated if necessary.

The useful conclusion

To understand a public holiday correctly, identify your statutory coverage, your actual rest day, whether the holiday falls on a working or non-working day, and whether you are required to work. The 2027 calendar tells you when the holidays occur; your work schedule and the Employment Act determine how the entitlement is applied. Keep your roster and payslip, ask for a clear calculation and agree substitute arrangements before assuming a holiday has been moved.